


Rhinky Holidays

by afangirlsplaylist



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Christmas, Gen, Holidays, M/M, Pining, rhink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-09-24 01:39:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17091671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afangirlsplaylist/pseuds/afangirlsplaylist
Summary: The boys have never been exactly truthful when they say they don't communicate at Christmas at all.





	1. Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [a_smut_sundae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_smut_sundae/gifts).



There were many things Link loved about Christmas. The mixture of cool air with the warmth of food and sweaters; the time at home, the looks on his kids’ faces- nearly everything about Christmas made this time of year his favourite. Even if it did come with a lighter wallet and a few headaches, everything else was worth that. 

Everything except the absence of Rhett.

Maybe it was a problem that his life was so full of Rhett that being without him on a holiday never really felt right. It wasn't that he couldn't enjoy himself, and his family meant everything to him - but without Rhett, it felt like he'd left something crucial behind. It felt it when he was in North Carolina more than anywhere, since, no matter how much Los Angeles came to be home, was still where their bond and memories were strongest. Whenever he passed by one of their old haunts or he heard something Rhett would find funny, he’d automatically turn as if Rhett was standing right next to him to share the moment. On a few Christmasses (though he’d never admit it to his therapist) he’d even taken a longer route through town just on the off chance he’d run into him. 

Not that he'd ever expected it to actually happen, but apparently Buies Creek was an even smaller place than either of them remembered. Just two years ago he’d stopped dead at the end of a supermarket aisle, hovering almost mid-step at the sight of Rhett’s lanky form at the other end. His heart thumped in his chest and he could tell just by looking into his friend’s green-gray eyes that Rhett was experiencing the same feeling. But no matter how much they’d wanted to say something it would feel more like breaking their unwritten rules than anything else would, so they’d walked on by and said nothing. 

They liked everyone, especially their wives, to think that they were completely apart at Christmas. To believe they were taking the separate time even they knew they needed. But no. They’d always be drawn together like gravity, an unbending force in the universe.

As if on cue, the clock struck 5 pm and Link began to hear the sizzle of Christmas dinner on the stove, serving as his cue to leave the room under cover of Christy’s cooking. 

Quietly slipping into the bathroom of his bedroom, he tugged his phone out of his pocket and slid the lock shut behind him. Part of him always found the need to hide this ridiculous, but he still only hesitated a moment before scrolling through to Rhett's name in his contacts. The phone rung, as Link knew it would, only a couple of times before Rhett answered.

“Hey, Link.” Rhett said warmly, and it wasn't hard for Link to imagine his friend holed up in his own bathroom, sitting on the toilet seat with his phone to his ear just like he was. 

“Hey, brother. How're things going on your end?” 

Rhett didn't respond immediately and Link knew why as he heard what sounded like Shepherd yelling in the background. 

“I think you can probably hear how it's going,” Rhett joked. “Shep got into the soda.”

Link sniggered and then listened for almost five minutes as Rhett told him about the Mclaughlin’s Christmas morning. He felt no need to interrupt as he enjoyed his friends’ happiness. It was almost soothing (which was a feat considering he was sitting on his toilet) but Rhett tended to have that effect. He didn't want to break the spell by telling Rhett about his own morning, but he did - taking in Rhett’s laugh when he told him about almost tripping over piles of wrapping paper. Far from offended, Rhett's laugh made it feel like  something missing had found its way back home.

“Have you managed to get Lincoln off his Switch yet?” Rhett said, breaking Link out of his thoughts.

“I was about to but I had to slip away to check on this jerk friend of mine.“ Link grinned, as he pictured Rhett rolling his eyes on the other end of the line. “He loves the hat you got him though.”

“He's a good kid,” Rhett said, and his tone was so genuine that Link felt his heart warm.

“I would hope so.” 

Both of them seemed to be very aware of the passing minutes and the fact that their families were going to be missing them soon, but neither seemed to want to be the one to end it. Checking his watch, Link sighed as he realized that time was up.

“I have to go, dinner’s calling.” Link said, with a tinge of an apology in his voice. “Say hi and send some love to everybody for me?”

“Only if you do the same on your end.” Rhett teased. “Merry Christmas bo.” 

“Merry Christmas Rhett, love you.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a couple of stolen seconds, before Rhett responded in a voice that made Link feel as if they were kids having a sleepover again and whispering to each other in the dark.  “Love you too, Link.”

Link hit end call with a pain in his heart, but as he tucked his phone back in his pocket and rejoined his family Christmas day finally felt complete.


	2. Valentines in London

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a small platonic Rhink piece about their Valentines Day morning in London

Link woke up to what sounded like paper sliding under the door of his hotel room and hitting the edge of the room’s desk.

On instinct, he turned in bed to say something to Christy, but when his hand fell on empty air he remembered he was in London, not home.

He frowned, closing his eyes for a second and trying to forgot where he was again. Wanting to go back to those blissful moments between sleeping and waking where his brain tricked him into thinking he wasn’t spending Valentines without his wife.

But now he was awake the low rumble of London traffic outside killed the illusion, and he opened his eyes again with a sigh.

More for something to do than anything else, he forced himself out of bed and walked across the room to pick up what had been pushed under the door.

It was an envelope with his name on it.

Curious, Link ripped it open to reveal a plain card. So plain that he actually turned it in his hands, as if expecting something on the back. When he found nothing he opened the card, half surprised to find it filled with his Rhett’s writing.

* * *

_Dear Link,_

_I’m sorry you can’t be with Christy on Valentine’s Day, but at least we’ve got each other right? That’s the best alternative we could ask for._

_I hope you know I love you, Bo. Even if we weren’t working together I’d want the best for you, and I’d kill anything or anyone that’d hurt ya. I’d fight five John Carsons a day if I had to._

_The basic fact is - there’s no future I envision that doesn’t have you in it, and you know I’ve considered a lot of them. Life gave me a blood brother so you’re stuck with me now, and I’ve got the job of protecting you from yourself on a daily basis. So we can both live long enough to be those weird old guys everyone’s parents used to watch._

_Can’t wait for that._

_Love you, Link_

_Happy Valentines_

* * *

He felt his mood shift with the words, smiling widely and full of love for his best friend. Carefully he put the card down on the desk, taking only enough time to get changed and sling his backpack over his shoulder before heading directly for Rhett’s room.

When he knocked on the door he was greeted by Rhett’s awake but still groggy voice, and he let out a grunt of surprise when he threw open the door and immediately had his friend’s arms thrown around.

“Gosh, man. You’ve gotta warn me before you do something like that this early.” Rhett said but wrapped his arms around Link all the same - rubbing his back. “You got my card?”

Link nodded against his shoulder, squeezing Rhett tighter.

“Love you too, Rhett.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always comments are love, please leave one :) <3


End file.
